Rotary valve for internal-combustion engines.



C. S GOBY.

ROTARY VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE S.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.30, I915- Patented' July 24, 191?.

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ROTARY VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED Aus.a0, 1915.

L234A60, Patented July 24, 1917.

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CLIFFORD S. GOBY, 0F CLEVELAND, OI-IIO.

ROTARY VALVE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed August 30, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLIFFORD S. GOBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Rotary Valves for Internal-Combustion Engines and the like, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to rotary valves adapted particularly for internal combustion engines, although not necessarily limited to engine use, the present application covering certain improvements over the constructions disclosed in my prior applications,No. 779,949, filed November 8, 1913, and No. 29,677, renewal date May 21, 1915.

The invention resides particularly in the so-called packing which minimizes leakage longitudinally and circumferentially of the valve, compensates for expansion or contraction due to temperature changes, adjusts itself readily to inequalities in the walls of the valve chamber and permits the valve to operate easily and quietly within the confining walls of the chamber without any twisting or other stresses being transmitted between the valve and the valveactuating parts. Additionally, the present construction lends itself readily to the use of two or more ports in the side wall of thevalve without in any way afiecting the action of the packing in its leakage preventing and compensating functions.

Not only has the invention particular utility in connection with internal combustion engines, but it may be applied to an engine in many different ways, both as to its arrangement with respect to the cylinder or cylinders and in regard to its particular function in the engine, the construction being capable of use either as an exhaust valve, as an inlet valve or for controlling both the inlet and exhaust of gases.

The invention may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts, which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings I have illustrated the valve inits preferred construction and have shown two of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, iaiv. Serial No. 47,953.

different ways in which the valve may be applied to internal combustion engines.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the valve, parts being in section; Fig. 2 is a similar view with the valve turned 90 from the point of view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section substantially along the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section substantially along the line H of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a section through a portion of the valve substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view through two cylinders and valves of an engine wherein two of my improved valves are employed, one as an inlet valve and the other as an exhaust valve for two cylinders; Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view substantially along the line 77 of Fig. 6; Figs. 6 and 7 showing a construction wherein the valves are arranged alongsidethe cylinders; Fig. 8 is a top plan view and Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view of an engine equipped with my improved valve which is incorporated in the head of the cylinder and is adapted to function both as an exhaust valve and inlet valve for the cylinder. The valve includes a hollow cylindrical valve body 10 which in this construction is provided with two oppositely disposed ports 11 and when employed in the manner shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is provided just below the ports with a partition 12 tapered in opposite directions from the center so as to guide the incoming or outgoing gases. The valve body 10 is surrounded by a plurality of sectors or sector plates 13 and although I may employ more than two sector plates, in this case I have shown two plates which are substantially duplicates of each other and each of which extends about 180 around the valve body. Two sectors or sector plates are preferable to more than two, because with only two sectors leakage can be more effectively prevented. If more than two sectors are employed some leakage might take place from sector to sector be tween the sectors and the valve body, although by increasing the number of sectors more longitudinal edges are provided, and this would to an extent increase the efficiency as far as the prevention of leakage around the exterior of the valve is concerned. These two sector plates which in below the ports 11 adjacent the ends of the plates, and are seated in grooves cut or otherwise formed in the valve body. In-

stead of having a single wide ring as illus-' trated at the upper part of Fig. 1, two or even more narrower rings may be employed as shown at the lower part of Fig. 1.

The sector plates are held on the valve body by undercut shoulders 15 and 16, which engage upper and lower beveled ends of the sector plates, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower shoulder 15 is formed on a part integral with the valve body while the upper shoulder 16 is carried by a sleeve or ring cage 17 which is fitted onto the top of the valve body and is fixed thereto by a pin 17 or other suitable means. The undercut shoulders 15 and 16 and the tapered or beveled ends of the sector plates are provided with a liberal amount of clearance to enable the expander rings 14: to exert their pressure on the plates without resistance and also to enable the sector plates to adjust themselves to the wall of the valve chamber and compensate for changes due to variations in temperature.

These sector plates which almost entirely encircle the valve are provided on their exterior with longitudinally extending edges 1 18 for the purpose of preventing leakage circumferentially of the valves These edges may be formed in different ways, such as by ribs as shown in my first application above named, but in this instance by grooves or slots which preferably, but not necessarily, extend the full length of the plates. These slots not only prevent leakage of gas circumferentially of the valve but they give the plates greater flexibility than they would otherwise have and serve to distribute lubricant lengthwise of the valve. Leakage of gas longitudinally of the valve is prevented by split spring rings 19 which encircle the valve body at both ends of the valve, the upper rings being in this instance seated in a. groove in the ring cage or sleeve 17, while the lower rings 19 are seated in a groove cut in the lower part of the valve body just beneath the sector plates and lower expander rings 14.

For the purpose of holding the sector plates against movement circumferentially of the valve body, and for the purpose of transmitting driving stresses equally to both sector plates regardless of the direction in which the valve is rotated, I provide between the adjacent edges of the sector plates both above and below the ports diametrically opposite driver dogs 20. One of each pair ofthese'dogs is fastened by screws such as shown at 21 in Fig. 2, to the valve body between the ends of the adjacent expander ring or rings 14, while the diametrically opposite driver dog is fastened in a similar manner to the adjacent expander ring or rings midway between the ends of the latter. This is shown clearly in Fig. 4.

The function of this construction in the way of preventing leakage circumferentially and longitudinally of the valve, and in compensating for temperature changes, as

well as adjusting itself to the inequalities of the valve chamber wall has heretofore been sufficiently referred to. It may be mentioned, however, in this regard that this valve will function in the manner or for the purposes above stated equally as'well as the several constructions disclosed in my prior applications referred to at the beginning of this specification.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown a two cylinder engine or unit of. two cylinders 25, provided with two of the valves here designated 26, which rotate in valve cylinders 27 located alongside of and between the main or power cylinders. Each of the valve cylinders is connected to each of the power cylinders by ports 28 so that each port of each valve is successively placed in communication with the two cylinders. In this instance one of the valves functions as an exhaust valve for both cylinders and the other as an inlet valve for both cylinders.

At their upper ends the valves communicate with inlet and exhaust conduits or manifolds 30 and 31 while at their lower ends the valves are connected to rotary driving stems or shafts 32. Each of the stems or shafts 32 is provided at its upper end with a disk-like. head having driving shoulders which engage in notches provided in the lower end of the valve body, precisely as in the first of my prior applications. The difference between the driving gear or driving mechanism shown in my prior application and that which will be utilized with the valve of this application, is, that whereas in my prior application a two-toone ratio of gearing is required for actuat ing the valve, with the present construction wherein the valve has two oppositely disposed ports a four-to-one ratio will be employed. In other words, with this construction the valve is driven at just half the speed that is required with the valve having a single port in its side wall.

In the construction shown in Figs. 8 and 9 each cylinder is provided in its head with one of the valves here designated 35, which valve functions both as an exhaust valve and as an inlet valve, the valve being of precisely the same construction as first described and being driven in the same manner except that in this instance it is being driven from above, and at its lower end is supported by a flange or shoulder 36 on the head of the cylinder. The lower end of the valve is in this case open and through the open lower end of the valve the gases pass alternately from an inlet conduit 37 to the cylinder and from the cylinder through the valve to an outlet or exhaust conduit 38. The relative location of the inlet and exhaust ports in the side wall of a valve cylinder is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 8, it being understood that with this construction the two ports in the valve body will be located diametrically opposite each other, as previously described.

The valve 35 is rotated by a drive shaft 39 which has the same form of connection with the upper end of the valve, as does the shaft 32 shown in Fig. 7, the only difference being that in one case the connection is with the lower part of the valve whereas in the latter case the connection is with the upper part of the valve. This shaft is mounted in a movable plate bolted to the end of the cylinder and carries at its upper end a gear 41 driven by a smaller gear 42, the gear ratio being four-to-one in this instance as in the first.

It will be understood that each cylinder will be provided with a valve mounted and operated as described, one gear 42 being employed to drive two of the larger gears 41 which are attached to the valve rotating shafts 39 of two cylinders.

The two constructions shown in Figs. 6 to 9 will illustrate the fact that the valve is capable of use in numerous specifically different construgtions or arrangements.

I do not wish to be confined to the exact details of the valve herein shown and described, nor to any particular way in which the invention is put in use, nor do I wish to be confined to gas engine use, but aim in claims to cover modifications and all adaptations which come within the spirit and scope of my invention, expressed in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a rotary valve, a valve body, means surrounding the body, said surrounding means and valve body having a plurality of sets of registering ports, and means acting on said surrounding means to spread the same outwardly.

2. A rotary valve, comprising a ported .valve body, adjacent or adjoining sectors surrounding the body and each extending substantially half way around the body, and expansible means acting on said members to spread the same outwardly.

3. In a rotary valve, a valve body, a sleeve composed of two sectors, said sleeve and the body having registering port openings, and split expansiblc means between said valve body and the sleeve for expanding the latter.

4. In a rotary valve, a cylindrical valve body, a pair of sector plates surrounding the body, the sector plates and valve body having one or more registering ports, and split spring rings acting on said sector plates to expand the same.

5. In a rotary valve, a cylindrical valve body having a pair of ports in its side wall, sector plates surrounding the valve body and having port openings registering with the ports in the valve body, and split expansible means acting on said sector plates to spread them outwardly.

6. In a rotary valve, a valve body having one or more ports, sectors surrounding the valve body, and expansible means acting on the sectors to spread the same outwardly, said sectors having means for preventing leakage circumferentially of the valve.

7. In a rotary valve, a valve body having one or more ports, sectors surrounding the valve body, expansible means acting on the sectors to spread the same outwardly, said sectors having means for preventing leakage circumferentially of the valve, and means for preventing leakage longitudinally of the valve.

8. In a rotary valve, a valve body having one or more ports in its side wall, sectors surrounding the valve body, and means for expanding the sectors outwardly comprising rings between the valve body and sectors.

9. In a rotary valve, a valve body having one or more ports, sectors surrounding the valve body, and means for expanding the sectors outwardly, comprising split spring rings between the valve body and sectors and located on opposite sides of the port or ports.

10. In a rotary valve, a valve body having one or more ports, sectors surrounding the valve body, means for expanding the sectors outwardly, and means between the valve body and the sectors for causing the sectors to be positively driven or rotated when the valve body is rotated.

11. In a rotary valve, a valve body, sectors surrounding the valve body, means acting on the sectors to expand the same outwardly, and driver dogs connected to the valve body and located between the sectors.

12. In a rotary valve, a valve body having one or more ports, sectors surrounding the valve body, means acting on the sectors to spread the same outwardly, and means holding the sectors onto the valve body.

13. In a rotary valve, a valve body having one or more ports, sectors surrounding the valve body, expansible split rings engaging the sectors on opposite sides of the port or ports so as to spread the same outwardly,

andexpansible split rings surrounding the side edges longitudinally extending edges valve body beyond the ends of the sectors. for preventing leakage oiroumferentially of 14. In a rotary valve, a Valve body having the valve. 10 one or more ports, sectors surrounding the In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my 5 valve body, expansible split means between signature.

the valve body and sectors for expanding the sectors, said sectors having between their CLIFFORD S. GOBY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent Washington, .D. C. V 

